


Bait 'n Catch

by kaijoskopycat



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Date Doctor Kise, Dating, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Officer Aomine, Original Character(s), Preschool Teacher Kuroko, child character, v things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:51:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaijoskopycat/pseuds/kaijoskopycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kise knows everything about love. Kagami Taiga knows nothing. When Kagami seeks Kise's help to make Kuroko Tetsuya fall madly in love with him, Kise immediately accepts. Kise doesn't think that leading Kagami down the path to the one he loves will pave a path for himself to find someone as well.</p><p>Based on the movie <em>Hitch</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kise: You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks, but You Can't Shave its Eyebrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kise takes on a new client who turns out to need a lot more help than he assumed he was taking on. Kagami Taiga isn't easy to handle, but Kise always did love a challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic will alternate between Kise's POV, Kagami's and Aomine's. I hope this is as enjoyable to everyone else as it is to me. I might be biased because I love Will Smith, but I think this movie is fun to KNB-ify. Tags will be added when I can think of more and when I feel they are appropriate.
> 
> -V

_Does he really eat like that?_

The man Kise is watching takes up at least half of the park bench on his own. His shoulders are far too broad to allow for more that one other person to share the seat with him. Not that they would be able to sit there anyway. His meal, excessive enough to have fed at least three or four others, takes up the rest of the bench. He shovels it all in his mouth like it’s the last food on earth.

_Did he just––_

There is definitely a stain on his shirt and he doesn’t even bother to wipe it away. In fact, he hardly seems to notice it amongst the other faint stains the fabric sports. It only gets worse when he reaches for another burger and his arm knocks his drink off the edge of the seat. He tips forward to try and catch it, but slips off the bench instead. His rear nearly ends up in the puddle of sticky soda he just spilled and there’s a chance the liquid could seep straight toward the leg of his shorts, but he just sits there, frowning, like it’s a normal occurrence. 

_Maybe it is normal for him._

Kise sighs and pushes himself away from the tree he’s been using as shelter. He had agreed to this meeting, after all. With his hair ruffled to perfection and a dazzling smile on his face, he approaches the unfortunate individual with his card in his hand. 

“Kagami Taiga,” Kise hums as he leaned against the back of the bench, brandishing his card. “I gotta say, when you called me out here to meet you I think I was expecting…” He trails off with a vague wave of his hand. “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting this.”

Kagami jumps and turns to face him with a scowl. From his vantage point, Kise can see there’s potential in that face. He has a strong jaw, attractive, masculine features, and captivating eyes. 

_But those eyebrows…_

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Kise moves around the bench and shoves the pile of food to the side to make enough room for him to perch upon the edge of the seat. “Listen, Kagamicchi,” He pauses and cocks his head. “Can I call you Kagamicchi?”

“No! What the hell kind of name is––“

“Listen, Kagamicchi,” Kise repeats. “It’s obvious you need a lot of help. I mean, your shirt alone screams helplessness. Have you counted how many stains are on that thing?” He holds up a hand when Kagami opens his mouth to respond. “Don’t answer that. And how can you shovel so much food in your mouth? I swear, your appetite alone must encompass an entire third world country.”

Kagami scowls and pushes himself to his feet. He brushes the dust off his shorts and gathers his bag from the ground. “Look, I’m not gonna deal with this shit.” He stares almost longingly at the food, seemingly waging an internal war against reaching out for it. “Tatsuya suggested I call you. Well, I did my part. I called. And you’re not what I’m looking for. I’d rather try on my own and fail then be treated like this.”

Kagami turns to leave, but Kise reaches out toward him, catching the end of his sleeve in a tight grip. “Eeeh? Did you say Tatsuya? As in Himuro Tatsuya? You know Himurocchi?”

Kagami casts a glance over his shoulder. “I grew up with him. He told me about what you did for him…” He turns his body to the side. “With Murasakibara.”

Kise nods and releases Kagami’s sleeve.

“He’s so––He’s really happy now.” Kagami sighs. “I guess… I just wanted something like that too.”

“I remember that,” Kise starts, leaning back against the bench. “I wanna say that was easy because Murasakibaracchi seemed to like only one thing. I figured he could win his heart with all those sweets, but he turned out to be a little more complex than that.” Kise grins and winks at Kagami. “Still got him to fall in about three dates though. They don’t call me the ‘date doctor’ for nothing.”

“That’s what Tatsuya told me.” Kagami reluctantly lowers himself back onto the bench. “He’s been watching me stumble around all this time and he thinks that maybe you can help me with my problem.”

Kise slings an arm over the back of the bench and flashes a brilliant smile. “It’s my job to help the unlucky ones in love.”

“I don’t know if I would call it love.” Kagami drops his bag and rakes his fingers through his wild red hair, a faint dusting of pink coloring his cheeks. “But every time I see him, I feel like––it feels like my heart is gonna rip right out of my chest. My hands start to shake and I’m clumsier than usual. I feel so stupid around him that I just wanna run and hide. But when I leave, there’s an ache in my chest that I can’t seem to erase. It only goes away when he’s around.” His large hands rest against his legs and squeeze right above his knees. “It’s so stupid because I really haven’t spoken to him much. I only see him during the weekdays and it’s so brief I don’t even know if it counts as a damn interaction at all. I’m sure he doesn’t even know my name.”

“Do you know his name?”

Kagami nods. 

“That’s a start.” Kise smiles and crosses one leg over the other. “Okay, Kagamicchi, tell me his name and what you know about him. I gotta have something to work with before we can get started on all of this.” He gestures toward Kagami himself.

Kagami scowls, but doesn’t hesitate to nod his consent. “So his name…” He shifts in his seat and glances at Kise. “His name is Kuroko. Kuroko Tetsuya.”

~~

“He works with kids?”

It’s a good thing the area is full of parents and family members, many of them around the same age as Kise and Kagami. He doesn’t want to appear like some pedophile watching the children play on the school playground across the street. He had demanded that Kagami show him where Kuroko works, even point out the man himself. He has to admit, Kuroko is a man of little presence, but what presence he does have is definitely intriguing enough to capture the eye. He’s slight in frame, nearly half Kagami’s size, and his light blue hair is so disheveled Kise is certain he cares about his appearance almost as much as Kagami does.

“Well, at least you have one thing in common,” Kise mutters as he taps his fingers against the tabletop. 

“Eh? What is that?”

Kise waves his hand dismissively and shakes his head. “So remind me again why you have to come here every day.” He pauses and cocks his head with a grin. “Besides the obvious.”

Kagami sighs and turns his attention back to Kuroko. Kuroko holds a small, purple-haired girl in his arms. Her face seems vaguely familiar, but Kise can’t put his finger on where he’s seen it before. “That’s Tatsuya’s daughter, Tatsumi.” Kagami’s expression softens. “I usually pick her up and take her back to my place until Tatsuya gets off of work.”

Tatsumi looks like a carbon copy of Murasakibara, but the usual bored expression he sports is replaced with a gleam in her eyes and a dazzling smile on her face. The sight nearly brings tears to Kise’s eyes. It’s been years since he’s spoken to Himuro, but the sight of Tatsumi makes him certain he had made the right decision in helping to bolster the relationship between those two. Now he is even more determined to make things work between Kagami and Kuroko. 

With a huff of excitement, Kise grabs Kagami’s shoulder and turns him away from the preschool. “Alright, let’s start right now.”

Kagami’s face lights up. “Wh–what? Right now? I mean, you haven’t––We haven’t…”

“Right now.” Kise reaches up and ruffles Kagami’s hair. The wiry red strands snap back into place and immediately gives up his attempt to push them down. “Well, I guess you hair will have to do for now.” He presses his thumb and forefinger to his chin in thought as his free hand runs down the front of Kagami’s shirt to smooth out the wrinkles. “God, I wish I could do something about those devil eyebrows of yours.”

A vein pulses at Kagami’s temple. “What the hell’d you say?”

“But that will have to wait.”

“Kise, what the––“

Kise snaps his fingers in Kagami’s face to silence him. “Listen to me.” He reaches out and squeezes Kagami’s shoulder. “He works with kids, so your language has got to go.” He glances over Kagami’s shoulder and watches Kuroko usher the children inside to grab their things. With only a few minutes left, he slips tickets into Kagami’s pocket and takes a step back. “So here’s what you’re going to do; talk to him.” Kagami grimaces. “Don’t make that face. You have to talk to him to get somewhere. Talk about Tatsumi. He likes kids, you like kids––or you like her, at least. Find common ground and walk on it. Try to bring up subjects you think will capture his attention and when you have it for long enough,” Kise pats Kagami’s pocket. “Invite him to the new aquarium they just opened up. Tell him you think it would a good place to take the children on a field trip and that you think it would be best for him to visit before doing so. You just happened to have a pair of tickets and it would be great for him to accompany you. Got it?”

“I–But what if I––“

Kise smiles and pats Kagami’s shoulder. “Just don’t trip. Don’t mention anything about your crazy basketball obsession, or your strange love of hamburgers.” Kise holds up a hand as Kagami opens his mouth to protest. “Just don’t, Kagamicchi. Make it about him.”

He watches Kagami swallow the lump his throat and nod. It takes quite a bit of effort on Kise’s part to get him to turn around and head toward the preschool. The children are already filing out of the front door by the time he reaches the edge of the walkway. Kagami turns around to glance at Kise who remains seated at the table at the café across the street. Kise dips his head and smiles, waving his hands forward as if to say _get going_.

Kise sees Kagami’s shoulder rise and fall as he takes a deep breath before making his way to the front door.


	2. Kagami: If You Hang on to the Fence You Might Not Fall as Hard as You Already Did

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kagami has to face Kuroko for the first time. Taking a shot at asking someone out on a date is not as easy as taking a shot in basketball.

“Stupid Kise,” Kagami mutters under his breath as he stands near the preschool entrance. “Stupid ‘date doctor’, stupid aquarium, stupid, stupid, stupid, stup––“

“Kagami-kun, I would appreciate it if you didn’t use the word ‘stupid’ around the children.”

Kagami stumbles back and catches himself on the fence right before he falls on his ass. “Shi–I mean, you just… I didn’t even see you there and–“

"I have been standing here the whole time," Kuroko tells him, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. “Tatsumi-chan is packing up some pictures she drew for you."

Everything Kise had told him to do disappears the moment he sees that smile. Even the smallest twitch of those lips makes Kuroko’s face light up and Kagami is blinded by the brilliance, even if no one else can see the light he sees in those eyes. He stumbles forward and rights himself before crashing right into Kuroko. His words are nowhere near as smooth as Kise makes them sound. In fact, he stammers out something that sounds more like a demand than a request and just as he’s about to reach into his pockets to procure the tickets, hoping a visual will better explain his lack of words, a purple blur smacks right into his shins and knocks him to the ground. 

“Kagami-ojisan!”

“Ack! I told you not to call me that, Tatsumi. I’m not an old man!” He pulls her off his leg only to have those small arms wrap in a vice around his neck. “Tatsumi… you’re choking me.”

“Kagami-niisan, I drew you pictures of us and daddy and Pop-pop.”

“You do that ojisan thing on purpose, don’t you?”

She grins and pushes away, wiggling in his grasp until he places her on the ground. She immediately spins in a circle to rummage through her backpack. The pictures she pulls out are crudely drawn. She has yet to perfect the art of the human body. He isn’t even sure they could be considered stick figures. Regardless of the lack of artistry, he can easily tell who each faceless blob is meant to be. 

“Is that me playing basketball?”

She nods and points at the ball. “But you’re throwing me!”

Kagami’s face lights up and his eyes dart toward Kuroko who is covering his mouth to hide another smile and silence the chuckle that escapes. “I promise I don’t throw her like that…”

“I find that hard to believe, Kagami-kun. Why else would she draw something like that?” Kagami splutters his protest and turns his face away with a frown. Kuroko kneels beside Tatsumi and she flings her arms around his neck to give him a hug goodbye. “Tatsumi-chan, why don’t you show him the other picture you drew?”

“Oh! Oh! Kagami-niisan, I drew you and Kuroko-sensei being friends!” She smacks the next picture against his chest and Kagami grunts from the impact. “Because I like you and I like Kuroko-sensei and if you’re friends then I can see everyone all the time.” She nods as if this is the most logical thing she can say.

Kagami can feel the sweat rolling down his back and he slowly pulls the picture away from his chest. There is a red-haired blotch he knows is meant to represent himself, but right beside him, with a lump extending outward to reach toward the Kagami blob, is a light blue-haired blotch with a smile on its face. Tatsumi had written “FRENDS” above the crude drawing of the two men, and in neat script beside her writing is the correct spelling of the word. He assumes this little addition is from Kuroko. “What are we holding, Tatsumi?” Kagami points to the lines that come out of their opposite hands.

“Fishing sticks.”

“Fishing rods,” Kuroko corrects her.

Tatsumi nods and pats Kagami’s leg in her excitement. “Fishing is fun!”

“How would you know?” Kagami cocks his head to the side. “I’ve never taken you fishing. And your dad hates the bugs that hang around the ponds.”

“I let them pretend to fish in the koi pond out back,” Kuroko explains. “It’s probably not allowed, but…” He shrugs to show just how much he cares. “They had a lot of fun with it. I couldn’t say no after they started.”

“Fishing, eh?” Kagami rubs his hands up his thighs and reaches into the pocket where Kise had left the tickets, finally steady enough to remove them without a hitch. “It’s funny that you say that because… Well, I––there’s this place that just opened up. It has fish. Well, I mean, a lot of places have fish. This isn’t––What I meant to say…” He trails off and grips at his nape. He can feel the warmth radiating off his skin and knows his cheeks must match the color of his hair. “The aquarium!” He finally blurts out. “Do you wanna go to the aquarium with me?” When Kuroko’s eyes widen in confusion, he offers the two tickets. “I have an extra ticket, and… I was thinking that it might be a nice place to take the kids on a field trip, or something like that…” He bites his lower lip. This definitely isn’t going as smoothly as he expected it to.

Finally, Kuroko laughs. It’s a soft sound, like wind chimes in a gentle breeze, and it ends almost as soon as it begins. It takes Kagami by surprise, but thankfully he schools his expression before those light blue eyes meet his again.

“I think that’s a great idea, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko reaches forward and ruffles Tatsumi’s hair. “A great way to start a friendship, don’t you think, Tatsumi-chan?”


	3. Kise: Distractions Come in All Shapes, Sizes and Colors too; Especially Blue.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kise meets someone distracting enough to pull his attention away from work and learns that sometimes children can be a lot more helpful than he gives them credit for.

_He’s gonna mess this up._

Kise taps his foot against the base of the table. He takes mental notes, makes corrections as he observes Kagami from across the street. Kagami’s posture is _terrible_. He’s obviously fidgeting, a tick Kise knows will be more prominent up close if he can see it from a distance. 

_At least he’s standing by the fence to catch himself if he falls._

Kise has spent enough time with Kagami to know the man has the potential to exude poise and confidence. He is powerful on the court and doesn’t hesitate or stumble. He doesn't question his ability in the kitchen and everyone at the bakery he works at has nothing but praise for the work he does. Kise hopes to get him to that level in everything he does on a daily basis. Watching the man now, he knows he’s got his work cut out for him. 

He sighs as he absently stirs his latte. Maybe starting today was a bad idea. In fact, he knows it to be a bad idea when Kuroko’s presence nearly startles Kagami to the ground. Kise almost walks over there and pretends to be another family member just to remedy the situation. His train of thought comes to an abrupt stop, however, when a deep voice breaks his concentration. 

“This seat taken?”

Kise pulls his gaze away from Kagami and meets a pair of dark, blue eyes set against perfectly tanned skin. He blinks a few times and glances at the other tables, all of which are completely occupied. 

“Look, if you’re waiting for someone, I’ll just go. Gotta patrol anyway, but I figured I’d finish this damn coffee first.”

 _Patrol?_ Then Kise notices the uniform and _damn_ he does that uniform justice. He curses himself for being so easily distracted and flashes a brilliant smile. “No, no, officer. I’m not meeting anyone.” He gestures to the seat across from him. “Consider it yours.”

The officer’s lips quirk upward and he takes the seat, setting his steaming cup upon the tabletop. “Figured a pretty face like yours would be waiting for a girl or something.”

Kise chuckles and shakes his head. “I’d rather not attract unnecessary attention.” Every date he’d gone on with a woman had ended in flashing cameras (primarily her fault), and a mess of tears (also her). In fact, he’s dead set on not playing the dating game for quite a while. He’d rather work on other’s relationships than his own. 

“Unnecessary attention?” The officer repeats. He drums his fingers on the edge of his cup before taking a sip. Those dark eyes remain trained on Kise’s face, like he’s memorizing every detail. 

For once in his life, Kise is the one fidgeting. He shifts in his seat and plays with the hem of his shirt. Lifting his hand, he runs his fingers through his hair and pulls the sunglasses off his face to set them on the table. The officer makes a soft sound of recognition and Kise jumps.

“I know your face.” The officer grins. “You’re in all those stupid magazines. Kise Ryouta.”

Kise scowls. “They aren’t stupid.”

“They are kind of stupid. I mean, your last one had you in some ridiculous, strappy get-up.”

“You–“ Kise cocks his head to the side. “You look at my pictures?”

The officer shrugs. “I see them when I pass through the convenience store. You started showing up on the front page quite often a few months ago.” He waves his hand dismissively before grabbing his coffee for another sip. “Hard not to look at the flashy shit they have you in.”

Kise’s cheeks light up. He can feel the heat spread across his face and down his neck, probably even over his ears. He thought it took a lot to make him blush. Women and men alike compliment him on his photos, his outfits, constantly telling him how good looking he is. But this man, someone he’d never met before and someone he might never see again, says the very same thing everyone else has been saying and he’s the first to ever get a reaction from Kise. “You’re really blunt, you know that?” Kise sighs and shakes his head. “What’s your name anyway?”

“Officer Aomine Daiki.” Aomine grins. “People tell me that a lot.”

“I’m sure they do.” Kise leans back in his seat and watches Aomine down the remainder of his coffee. There’s something about this man that intrigues him. Maybe it’s the uniform. Maybe it’s the gruff way he speaks like he couldn’t give a damn what he said or who heard. But Kise swears there’s something else. It takes a lot to capture Kise Ryouta’s attention and Aomine Daiki had it the moment he asked for a seat. 

Aomine pushes his chair back with a faint screech against the pavement. “Welp, gotta get back to my route.” He tosses the cup over his shoulder and it flies in a perfect arc before landing in the open wastebasket by the door. “Don’t attract any unnecessary attention, Kise.” He grins and lifts his hand in a brief wave.

“I’ll make sure to stay out of trouble too,” Kise calls after him. He watches Aomine’s back disappear around the corner before he drops is cheek against the cool table top with a soft grumble of frustration. _Shit… I missed everything with Kagami and Kuroko._

He’s supposed to be helping Kagami dazzle Kuroko, but he’s the one being dazzled instead. 

~~

Kise watches Kagami cross the street with Tatsumi on his shoulders. Kagami takes the seat across from Kise and Tatsumi starts in with the questions the moment they sit down. After a few moments with Kise and his attractive smile and his contagious laugh, she deems him a worthy friend and even decides to sit in his lap and draw a new picture while he speaks with Kagami about what happened with Kuroko. 

“I saw the way you were fidgeting,” Kise says. Truthfully, that’s the only thing he did see and he isn’t about to admit that he missed the entirety of their interaction. 

“Eh… yeah. I was nervous!” Kagami retorts, frowning. “It’s better than tripping and falling on my ass.” He grimaces. “I mean, on my butt. Don’t repeat that word, okay, Tatsumi?” She hums and nods as he she works on her picture. “But I gave him the ticket, so that’s good, right?”

Kise blinks in surprise. “You did?” He purses his lips and tries to remember if he caught any of the positive side of this interaction, but all he can remember besides Kagami’s obnoxious fidgeting are those dark blue eyes and that smooth, dark skin. “And he accepted?”

Kagami scowls. “You don’t have to sound so surprised.” He grips his nape and turns his face in a weak attempt to hide the flush that Kise can see burning the tips of his ears. “He said it sounded like a good way to start a friendship.”

Kise grins. “Wow. That’s an even better reaction than I was expecting.” He wraps his arms around Tatsumi’s waist and tickles her stomach. She wiggles in his grasp and laughs, pushing his hands away. “Doesn’t that sound great, Tatsumicchi?”

“Tatsumicchi?” she parrots, leaning her head back to glance at Kise’s face. 

“It’s a nickname. Don’t you like it?”

She kicks her feet and smiles. With a firm nod, she says, “I’m Tatsumicchi! Look, Kise-niisan, I made Kuroko-sensei and Kagami-niisan best friends!”

Kise glances up at Kagami and his lips twitch into a smirk. “Did you now?”

Kagami’s face colors a deeper shade of red and he shakes his head. 

“Yup! Kagami-niisan has the picture.”

“Hand it over.” Kise demands, extending a hand and tapping his fingertips against his palm. “Come on, Kagamicchi. Let me see it.”

Kagami shifts in his seat and reluctantly leans over the side of his chair to pull the picture out of Tatsumi’s backpack. He unfolds the paper and hands it to Kise whose lips spread into a wide grin when he sees the crudely drawn image. 

“I see.” He puts the picture on the table in front of Tatsumi. “Did you show this to your sensei?”

She nods and starts scribbling a frock of yellow hair on her latest masterpiece. 

“Did you show him in front of Kagamicchi?”

“Yeah! And I told them they should be friends and they’re gonna go fishing together.”

“Are they?” Kise chuckles and taps his fingers against his chin. He had never thought about utilizing a child before. Animals have worked in the past, but having children can be a touchy subject. Sometimes people react favorably, but the odds are so often against the child bearer that Kise is usually far too reluctant to even try. Tatsumi, on the other hand, is not Kagami’s child. Kuroko is a preschool teacher and obviously loves children. It’s clear to Kise that Kagami adores Tatsumi. He’s gentle with her, playful and firm when need be; all positive aspects in Kuroko’s book, or so Kise assumes. “Child admission to the aquarium is free, isn’t it?”

“Eh?” Kagami glances at the ticket that has somehow made his way into his hand. “I think so. As long as the child is under five years old or something like that.”

“And how old are you Tatsumicchi?”

“I’m gonna be…” She stares at her hand in apparent debate on which fingers should be up and which should be down before she wiggles four fingers in front of Kise’s face. “I’m gonna be four!”

“My god, that’s so old!” Kise laughs and lifts his hand, tucking his thumb against his palm. “Look at that. Four fingers. That’s a lot.”

“I’m gonna be a big girl. Daddy says I can pick my own clothes when I’m four and Pop-pop says I can have one of his special pastries for breakfast on my birthday!”

“That sounds amazing.” Kise ruffles her hair affectionately and lifts his gleaming eyes to meet Kagami’s.

Kagami frowns. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“So Tatsumicchi,” Kise continues, grinning at Kagami. “How would you like to go with your sensei and Kagamicchi to see the fish?”


	4. Kagami: Fish are Friends Not Food, but Kuroko is a better friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kagami finds out that dates are easy when they're with Kuroko and Tatsumi helps to open more doors than he thought she would.

“Tatsumi, don’t stand so close to the curb.” Kagami bends forward and grabs her arm to gently tug her closer to him. “If you don’t stay by me I’m going to have to carry you.”

Tatsumi pouts–a trick she's learned during the past few days spent with Kise–but takes to clinging to Kagami’s slacks instead. It’s easier for her to grab on to his usual gym shorts, but Kise had insisted he wear dress slacks and a shirt that didn’t look like it had been used to power wash the pavement. The top few buttons remain undone, on Kagami’s insistence. He may have agreed to the button down, but he refuses to feel like the piece of clothing was suffocating him.

“Are you sure it’s okay to bring her along?” Kagami glances at Kise who had made himself comfortable in one of the many plush seats that circle the tables outside yet another café. 

“Believe me,” Kise begins, tapping his fingers around the rim of the coffee mug in front of him. “This will help your hopeless cause.”

Kagami grumbles in response and grabs Tatsumi’s hand as she inches toward the street once again. “What did I say?” He pulls her toward him again. “We’ll go in as soon as Kuroko gets here. Wouldn’t be fair to start without him.”

“Kuroko-sensei is by the door!”

Sure enough, Kuroko stands at the bottom of the aquarium steps. His hair remains as disheveled as ever, but he has cleaned up as much as Kagami in the ways of his outfit. There are no stains on his shirt as they were on his school apron. In fact, the lightweight, pale sweater he wears compliments his light blue eyes and he looks much more comfortable than Kagami feels. 

“But what if Tatsumi––“

“Tatsumi is the reason you’re going on this little date at all.”

“D-Date?” Kagami splutters.

“It’s the closest you’re going to get to a first date.” Kise reaches forward to brush a piece of lint off Kagami's sleeve before leaning back in his chair. “Like I said, be suave, or as much as is possible for you. And you,” He reaches around Kagami and taps Tatsumi’s shoulder. “Have fun, okay? And tell me all about the fish you see.”

Tatsumi smiles and nods. “Okay! And Kagami-niisan will take pictures for me!”

“Hey, who the hell said––“

“Kagamicchi…”

“Right, right,” Kagami sighs. He can feel the sweat rolling down his back. His palms are clammy and a part of him worries that Tatsumi’s small hand will slip from his grasp. He hopes his cheeks aren’t as flushed as he feels like they are. “I guess we’ll see you later then.”

“Don’t trip,” Kise says with a grin.

“Shut up.”

~~

“Kuroko-sensei!” Tatsumi wiggles her hand out of Kagami’s grasp and takes off toward the entrance. 

“Tatsumi!” Kagami sighs and runs after her, sliding to a stop in front of Kuroko. His hair, settled by Kise’s meticulous work, has come undone, red strands sticking up every which way. He can feel the way it brushes his nape as it hadn’t done before and internally groans. If Kise sees his hair this way, he can only imagine the reprimand he’ll received. 

Tatsumi clings to Kuroko’s neck as his arms wrap around her waist and beneath her bottom. “Fish!”

Kuroko chuckles softly and nods. “We are seeing fish. But I can’t carry you the whole time, Tatsumi-chan. You’re getting so big and I’m too weak.” He lowers her to the ground and lets her cling to the leg of his slacks before turning to greet Kagami with a small smile that steals the man’s breath away. “Hello, Kagami-kun. Thank you for inviting me.”

Kagami runs his fingers through his hair and angles his face to the side. He can feel the blush color his cheeks and the heat that burns his nape. “Uh.. Hey, Kuroko. I–uh… We should probably head inside.”

“Of course. Do you have the tickets?”

“The tickets?” Kagami slaps his hands against his thighs and frantically digs through his pockets. He knows they were there somewhere. He had obsessively checked at least a dozen times before leaving his apartment. “Ah… I have them. I do. I just––“

“Are those the tickets, Kagami-kun?” Kuroko points to the ground beside Kagami's feet.

He follows the slender finger right to his wallet. The tickets stick out of the top and Kagami nearly falls over when he bends downward to grab it. “Yeah, I didn’t feel it fall.” He tries for a sheepish grin. “That would’ve been bad.”

“Kagami-niisan, we can go in now?”

Kagami’s smile softens and he bends down to lift Tatsumi into his arms. “Yeah, we can go in. Let’s go see the fish and maybe, if we got here at the right time, we can see the dolphin show they put on in back.”

Her cheer echoes in the entryway as they enter and Kuroko follows, a faint smile on his lips and a tint of pink dusting his cheeks. 

~~

Despite Kagami’s concern, the day goes by smoothly; as smoothly as it can for him. He doesn’t fall in any open tanks. He may have stumbled back and let loose an emasculating squeak, that is drowned by Tatsumi’s scream, when a shark swims straight at the glass of its environment. They make it in time for the dolphin show and leave with soaked shirts. Kagami is glad he had brought a change of clothes for Tatsumi to avoid risking her catching a cold.

Tatsumi stays by his side the entire day, as he asks her to, and gives him and Kuroko the chance to talk. He finds out that Kuroko has had a passion for teaching since he was a young man, but never gave himself enough credit to believe he would ever make a career out of it. His grandmother has been the source of his inspiration. She had reminded him day after day that he is worth something and has the potential to make his passion into a reality. 

Kagami praises his teaching skills and his prowess with children. Tatsumi is friendly and can put on a smile just as quickly as Himuro can, but she also has a genuine smile that she only shows to a few people. Both of her fathers are wary of trusting others and Kagami has never blamed them for it, but their aversion to others has rubbed off on their daughter and Kagami constantly worries that Tatsumi will have trouble making friends. As it is, she has plenty, but Kuroko is someone she seems to like most of all. 

He can’t describe how much it means to him knowing that Tatsumi has found someone who understands her and accepts her as she is. She became as much a part of his life as basketball is. He grits his teeth as the thought passes through his mind. Basketball is something he’s not supposed to bring up just yet. 

They walk out of the aquarium and head down the street. Tatsumi falls asleep in Kagami’s arms, her head resting against the bend of his shoulder. He can feel a damp spot growing on his shirt as her mouth hangs open, drool seeping from the corner of her lips. Every so often, Kuroko reaches up and dabs at her mouth with a handkerchief he procures from his pocket. 

“You’re really good with children, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko says softly as they cross through the park that heads toward Himuro’s apartment complex. “Tatsumi-chan really loves you.”

Kagami’s expression softens and he lifts his hand to gently run his fingers through those soft, purple strands. “Yeah, I know she does.” He glances at Kuroko and shrugs his opposite shoulder. “I was never really a big fan of kids, but Tatsumi… she means everything to me. She kinda brought Himuro back to me when I need him the most.”

“Himuro-san is a good friend of yours?”

“More like a brother.” Kagami glances forward and sees a light on in Himuro’s kitchen. From being in their apartment so many times before, he knows that large shape just behind the curtains is Murasakibara. He’s at the sink, most likely doing the dishes after spending hours baking sweets. “It took me a while to warm up to Murasakibara, but he grew on me too. Then this little girl came along and I thought they were crazy for going through with it. I was in and out of jobs, in a run down apartment with barely enough money to cover the rent. I chose the wrong people over Himuro more times than I could count and ended up in fistfights too many times for it to be healthy. If it weren’t for their generosity, as forced as it was back then, I probably would’ve been out on the streets, or worse, in prison. Himuro and I weren’t on the best of terms, even when I came around, but when Tatsumi warmed up to me…” A small smile spreads across his lips. “I couldn't help but love her back. She brought us all closer together. She changed everything. I owe her.”

Kuroko remains silent and the prolonged lack of response makes a lump form in Kagami’s throat. He tries to kick his mind into gear to remember what Kise had insisted he do. Talk about Kuroko. Kagami bits his lower lip. He had just rambled on about himself. 

Just as he’s about to open his mouth to speak, Kuroko stops him with, “Kagami-kun, I am glad Tatsumi-chan has someone like you in her life, whatever the reason you’re there may be.” He pauses and Kagami has the urge to wrap his arms around him to thank him for breaking the deafening silence. “And I would very much like it…” Kuroko clears his throat and glances to the side, eyes fixed on the small swing set they pass just before reaching the street. “If we could get together again.”

Kagami’s face lights up. 

“I really enjoyed myself, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko follows at his side as he crosses the street to reach the door to Himuro’s apartment. “I am not usually this forward.” There is another pause, but this time Kagami doesn’t feel the same nerve-wracking fear he has every other time silence has spread between them. “But it would be a shame if Tatsumi-chan’s picture didn’t come true, don’t you think?”

~~

Dropping Tatsumi off proves to be more of a challenge than Kagami assumes it will be. Though he tries to keep his knock as quiet as possible, she stirs and awakens, surprised to find them at her house. Her cooperation is nearly nonexistent as she tightens her hold around Kagami's neck and whines about wanting to go back to the aquarium. Murasakibara is no better. He complains to Tatsumi about how long she's been gone and turns to whine at Himuro about how she doesn't love him. To his credit, Himuro only smiles and shakes his head. Kagami doesn't know where he gets that endless patience from, but he gives him all the props. Living in a house with Murasakibara and Tatsumi is like having two children instead of one. 

It isn't until Murasakibara threatens to keep his sweets away from Tatsumi that she finally reacts, almost jumping out of Kagami's grasp and into Murasakibara's arms. Murasakibara's face lights up (as much as his can) and he lifts her high above his head–which is pretty damn high considering he's as tall as a yeti–to hear her squeals of excitement and proclamations of love. 

Kagami shakes his head and says his goodbyes, after briefly introducing Kuroko to the both of them. He leans in to kiss Tatsumi's cheek and she grabs his face between her small hands and rubs her nose against his. He grins and pulls back, gesturing for Kuroko to follow him out the door. 

"I am surprised you have not become a child thief, Kagami-kun."

Kagami splutters and stares incredulously at Kuroko.

"Because you treat Tatsumi-chan as if she were your own child." Kagami's face brightens as Kuroko glances his way. There's something unnerving about the way Kuroko keeps his expression so neutral. "I wouldn't tell the police if she mysteriously disappeared."

"Wha––I would never–"

Kagami jumps as Kuroko pats his arm. "Your secret would be safe with me."

He slaps Kuroko's hand away, despite the heat that radiates across his skin from the brief touch. "I'm not a kidnapper, dammit," He mutters, scowling. "She's just important to me. We already went over this. I–" Kagami pauses and trails off. The surroundings are gradually getting more and more familiar. He knows the pizza place they pass because he frequents it on the way home from work. The laundromat is where he does his laundry when the washing machine in his apartment building decides to give out, a regular monthly occurrence. Even the bum on the street corner with his sign that reads, "If it ain't booze, I don't want it" is a sight he's accustomed to and before he knows it they're standing in front of his apartment building. 

"Oh shit. I meant to walk you home, not the other way around." He turns to Kuroko and offers an apologetic frown. "Just tell me where you live and I'll take you there. I can always back track."

Kuroko tilts his head to the side and eyes the apartment building.

Kagami frowns. "I know it's not much, but it's still home, ya know? Small place, but cozy enough."

"I know it is," Kuroko replies, lifting his arm to point a finger at the window all the way to the right on the third floor. "I live right there." 

If Kagami was lost for words before, he can't even remember how to speak now. His eyes widen and he follows Kuroko's pointed finger to the window that is only a few down from his own. All this time he's been living only a few doors away from the guy who makes him feel like a teenage girl in love and he hadn't even known it. 

"I did not know you lived here too, Kagami-kun."

Kagami shakes his head. "I didn't..." He runs his fingers through his hair and takes a deep breath in an attempt to slow his racing heart. Words are slowly returning to him and he's grateful for the lack of stutter when he speaks. "I've only lived here for a year or two. So... I––" He palms his nape. "Never really went around and met the neighbors. Maybe that means I should get out more."

Kuroko's lips twitch into a smile. "Maybe it does."

"Should I––" He glances between Kuroko and the door. "We should probably go inside."

Kuroko inclines his head and they enter the building in silence. The lights in the entryway flicker, something Kagami has been meaning to call the landlord about, but Kuroko doesn't react to them. He must be just as used to them as Kagami is. Kuroko heads for the elevator and Kagami silently prays that it doesn't want to cooperate. He can barely fit in the elevator on his own. If they both climbed in they would be pressed against one another. There are only so many things his heart can handle right now. He usually takes the stairs anyway. 

The elevator bell dings to indicates it's arrival and Kagami internally groans. He vaguely wonders if it would be rude to take the stairs on his own, but Kuroko glances back at him with look that clearly asks if Kagami is following and he sighs before stepping in. Kuroko's arm is pressed against his side and he feels his heart leap into his throat when the backs of their hands brush against one another. 

The elevator lurches to a start and moves from one floor to the next at an excruciatingly slow crawl. He's counting off the seconds in his head until they reach the third floor and he stumbles out, none too gracefully, earning him a soft tut of amusement from Kuroko. He glances over his shoulder as he rights himself and watches Kuroko gesture in the direction opposite his own apartment. 

"I am over here, Kagami-kun." 

Kagami gestures in the other direction. "I'm this way."

Silence stretches between them and Kagami's mind instantly starts running through everything Kise had said to him before he left him at the cafe. What is he supposed to do before saying goodbye?

Kuroko takes a step forward, closing the small distance between them and Kagami fights the urge to step back in surprise. Kuroko's face angles upward and Kagami notes the flush that creeps across his pale cheeks and the answer instantly comes to him. 

_If the mood is right, kiss him goodbye._ Kise's smooth voice rolls through his mind. 

His palms instantly start to sweat. He's not even sure his heart is beating anymore. His mind can't wrap around the idea of Kuroko's lips pressed against his own. He could barely handle the brief touch of his hand against his arm. How is he supposed to kiss him? Did Kuroko actually want that or is he just waiting for Kagami to say goodbye?

Without thinking, Kagami thrusts his hand between them. Kuroko blinks and takes a step back, eyeing Kagami's outstretched hand before tentatively reaching out and grasping it in a hesitant, but firm handshake. 

"Until next time then, Kagami-kun." 

Kagami feels the absence of Kuroko spread through him like an illness, leaving him achy and chilled. He takes a few steps backward down the hall, watching Kuroko's back as he walks away. He doesn't turn around to wave to Kagami before he enters his apartment. One moment he's there, the next he's gone. 

Kagami's punches the wall when he enters his apartment and curses his inexperience and his insecurities.

_He wanted a kiss, dammit. Bakagami. How could you pass that up?_


	5. Kise and Aomine: He Should be the One Wishing, Not Me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aomine accuses Kise of stalking and Kise doesn't try all that hard to deny it, especially when Aomine is still just as captivating as their first encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said these chapters were going to alternate between the POVs of Kise, Kagami and Aomine, but Aomine's chapters would be far too brief so he's been combined with Kise and might be combined with Kagami in the future depending on how the story progresses.
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with this and I hope you enjoy ^^
> 
> -V

“Pretty sure I can get a restraining order against you if you’re stalking me, model-san.”

Kise almost spills his coffee into his lap. He’s going through paperwork sent to him from his modeling agency–or he was pretending to do that–while he frets over the outcome of Kagami’s “date”. It isn’t often he takes on a client who worries him so much. He makes friends with them, sure, but Kagami is different. He’s so likable as a friend, but what if Kuroko thinks the same thing? What if Kagami turns out to be just friend material? He’s never met someone who holds such an innocent idea of love and Kise wants nothing more than to help that love blossom into something more.

He hasn’t been aware of his surroundings, much less the dark skinned police officed that had just waltzed up to his table. He frantically wipes up the coffee that had spilled in his surprise and glances at Aomine with a sheepish grin. “Pretty sure I’m within my rights to relax at any café I want to go to.”

Without asking, Aomine steals the seat across from Kise and even reaches across the table to grab his coffee and take a sip. Kise watches the way his lips close around the edge of the cup, and strains his eyes to catch the way his tongue flicks outward when he pulls back. 

“Eeeh! That was my drink! Who the hell said you could put your germs all over it?” Kise splutters, cheeks tinged a faint pink.

“Hah?” Aomine’s brow rises and he sets the cup back on the table. “How old are you? Jeeze. What? You think I got cooties or something?” His lips smooth into a grin as he leans against the back of the chair. He crosses his arms and stares at Kise, his eyes daring him to grab the cup and take a sip of his own. 

Kise doesn’t hesitate to take the bait. He snatches his cup off the table and takes a big gulp. In his haste to face the challenge head on, he’s forgotten the coffee is newly brewed, and extra hot. The cup hits the table with a thud and the surface is once against covered in the light brown drink as Kise fans his burning tongue. 

“’At hu’t.” He makes an attempt to speak around his limp tongue and instantly regrets it. If his cheeks were pink before, their color can now rival that of the fresh tomatoes in the farmer’s stand only a few yards away. 

“Baka…” Aomine mutters, pushing his chair back. He gets up and disappears into the cafe and Kise is almost certain he’s going to order himself some coffee and leave. After all, he’s exuding none of the grace and charm he teaches his clients to show their love interests. 

_Love interest? But I’m not––_

“Here.” Aomine returns and offers Kise a glass of ice water. “Sip that. It’ll help the burn.”

In his surprise, Kise doesn’t even think to reach for the glass. Aomine has to grab his wrist and put it in his hand. He’s mortified. Not only did he spill his coffee and burn his tongue, but he lets himself be so captivated by a pair of dark blue eyes that all sense and reason, everything he’s known to be true until now, flies out the window. He’s just as clumsy and senseless as the men he lends his expertise to.

“I said sip it, baka,” Aomine insists. “It’s not gonna help your goddamn tongue if you leave it in your hand. “He reaches across the table to grab what remains of Kise’s coffee. “I’ll take this as a thank you.”

The instantaneous relief after the first sip of the water brings a smile to Kise’s lips. A few more sips and he’s able to speak without his tongue hanging unattractively from his mouth. “You sure reacted quickly, officer.”

“My specialty,” Aomine replies, inclining his head. He smirks and brings the cup of coffee to his lips once more. 

“I thought you patrolled around the preschool.”

Aomine shrugs. “I usually do. Took someone else’s patrol as a favor ‘cause I owe them a few.” He sets the empty cup on the table and grins. “Didn’t expect to run into you over here too. Guess you really are stalking me.”

Kise snorts. “You wish.”

“Don’t you think you’re out alone too much?” Aomine glances around the general area. “A famous model like you should probably have security, shouldn’t you?”

Kise chuckles. “You offering, Officer Aomine?”

Aomine smirks. “You wish.”

~~~

Kise isn’t aware of the time until Aomine curses under his breath. 

“Shit… I should’a been back on patrol two hours ago.”

Kise glances at the watch loosely wrapped around his wrist. They have spent the past three and half hours going from one topic of conversation to the next. Aomine has criticized many of Kise’s modeling spreads and Kise swears his head will explode if the man remembers another minute detail. He can’t even remember the color of the pendant he’d worn in last week’s publication let alone the color of the suspenders Aomine had made fun of from nearly two month ago. Kise has drilled him with questions about some of the most interesting things he’d seen on the job and stopped him when he started to go into detail about a man dressed as a clown who got his kicks from bashing in car windows in the local neighborhoods. Kise still shudders at the thought and had to dismiss his fear of clowns to ask for another topic of conversation.

He’s been so absorbed in their conversation that he too lost track of time. The aquarium is already closing and he can’t see Kagami or Kuroko anywhere. With a sigh, he knows he’s missed crucial parts of their interaction yet again. 

“You have a knack for distracting me, officer.” Kise grins and makes a soft tut of disapproval. “I had work to do here and I haven’t gotten a single thing done.”

Aomine smirks and Kise feels that same shiver run down his spine as the moment he first saw that look on Aomine’s face. “Well, you own me for fucking up my patrol, Kise.” He drums his fingers on the tabletop. “Just how the hell do you expect to make up for that?”

Already a step ahead, Kise slides a napkin across the table with a series of numbers written in beautiful script. “I can start with that.” 

Aomine glances at the paper and chuckles. “Cocky little shit, aren’t ya?” He stares and this time Kise lets him. He doesn’t fidget. He doesn’t play with his clothing or ruffle his hair. He stares back. He’s taken the first step. Now he’s curious to see if Aomine will take the next. After a moment of hesitation, Aomine extends a hand and taps his fingers against his palm. “Give me the pen.”

~~~ 

“Dai-chan!” 

“Whaaat?” Aomine drawls as he picks at the inedible food on his plate. Satsuki has a lot of talents, but cooking is not one of them. He probably should have offered to make dinner himself, but his shift ran later than intended and she had already let herself in and made a mess of his kitchen before he could so much as call to protest. 

“You aren’t even listening to me!” She flings her plate into the sink and the crash makes Aomine flinch. 

“Hey! Hey! Watch it, Satsuki. Those are my damn plates you’re throwing around.” He sighs heavily and pushes his food away. Crossing his arms over his chest, he nods toward the chair beside him and watches as she stomps her way over to the seat. “Okay, talk. I’m listening.”

She pushes out her cheeks and lets out an audible huff. 

“If you don’t talk now then I’m going to sleep.”

“Fine!” She slaps her small hand on his forearm to stop him from getting up. “I broke up with my boyfriend again.”

He sighs and rolls his eyes. “Again? What the hell was wrong with this one?”

“He talked too much.”

“You talk too much.”

She slaps him again. “He talked more than me.”

He snorts. “That’s impressive.”

Satsuki dramatically throws her arms up in the air and drops her head onto the table. Her long, pink hair runs down the side, nearly touching the floor. She hasn’t cut it in such a long time. 

“Fuck. Alright, alright.” He reaches forward and shoves her shoulder. “What the hell do you want me to do?”

Her head is up in a heartbeat, a brilliant smile spreading across her face. “Go to the bar with me on Saturday?”

Aomine palms his face and sighs heavily. The last thing he wants to do is go to a bar, especially on one of his days off. He experiences enough of them while on duty and finds it much more enjoyable to drink at home where no one can bother him. 

“Fine.” He lifts a finger to silence her. “But only once. I’m not doing this shit when you break up with the next loser you pick up.”

She nods as if it won’t happen again, but he knows better. They both also know he’ll do what she asks the next time she comes to him with those big, sad eyes and that pleading frown. 

She leans her elbows on the table and props her chin in her open hand. “I hope the date doctor shows up there,” she says with a wistful smile. “Maybe he can help me find a nice date.”

“The date doctor is a fucking myth.” He rolls his eyes and pushes himself out of the chair. His phone goes off with a faint ping and he has to make sure he isn’t getting called in again so soon. He has plans to make nice with his mattress. “Besides, it’s not like you need the help finding a date.”

“Awh, is that you being sweet, Dai-chan?”

“No.” He snorts. “It’s me being realistic and not believing in bullshit.”

~~
    
    
     **Received from: Model Boy**  
    
    [text]: You free next Saturday?

  


Aomine’s lips twitch as he swipes his thumb across his screen. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t half hoping for Kise to contact him, but he also hadn’t expected anything so soon.
    
    
     **Sent to: Model Boy**  
    
    [text]: depends on what you have planned

  

    
    
    **Received from: Model Boy**  
    
    [text]: if I said its a surprise would you join me? (๑^ں^๑)

  


_What the hell is with that stupid face?_ Aomine shakes his head and grins. Even through texts Kise is a cocky little shit.
    
    
     **Sent to: Model Boy**  
    
    [text]: nothing illegal i hope

  

    
    
    **Received from: Model Boy**  
    
    [text]: im offended officer -`д´-  
    
    [text]: what kind of man do you take me for?

  


Aomine lets out a soft chuckle as he swiftly replies.
    
    
     **Sent to: Model Boy**  
    
    [text]: considering i took you for a stalker...  
    
    [text]: i think its a valid question

  

    
    
    **Received from: Model Boy**  
    
    [text]: (；¬д¬)  
    
    [text]: are you joining me or not?

  


He grins and rereads the text. He can practically feel Kise’s annoyance through the phone. _Let’s play a little game, model-san._ He sets his phone down on his bedside table and collapses upon his bed, counting the minutes of silence that pass. 

~~~

Kise stares at his phone, expecting the response as swiftly as the other ones came, but the only buzz that comes from his phone is a message from his agent, reminding him that he has a photo shoot early tomorrow morning. He grumbles to himself and types out a reply, asking her to leave him alone for the night so he can get some beauty sleep and waits for the next buzz to come. 

And he keeps waiting. 

Minutes tick by. An hour passes. He stares at his clock and wills his phone to go off, but still it makes no sound. With a frustrated growl, he tosses his phone on the bed and makes his way into the living room to watch a movie. However, after the opening credits, he finds himself at his bedside again, staring down at the dark screen of his phone. No light goes off to indicate a new message and Kise picks up the device and pockets it before returning to the living room. He keeps a hand firmly pressed against his thigh to make sure he’ll feel any vibration. 

_Remind me again why I put on a romantic comedy?_

Kise rolls his eyes and moves to grab at the remote when he feels––

_Was that…_

He digs his hand into his pocket and pulls out his phone to find… _Nothing_.

Kise stares at his reflection in the screen and immediately curses himself for being so stupid. He isn’t the type of guy who sits by his phone every second of the day waiting for a message from that “one special person”. He’s supposed to be that special person. Aomine is supposed to be the one waiting for his texts, right?

His lower lips pushes outward in a pout and he squeezes his phone. _I’m not giving in, Aomine._ He leans against the back of his couch and crosses his arms over his chest, phone still clenched in his hand. _Not gonna text you again._ His attention returns to the movie just in time to see the female lead pining over her love interest. Now he really wants to turn the television off. 

With a grumble, he switches off the movie and falls back against the couch to stare at the ceiling. It only takes a few more minutes for him to cave.
    
    
     **Sent to: Officer Aomine**  
    
    [text]: well?

  

    
    
    **Received from: Officer Aomine**  
    
    [text]: haha fine. where am I meeting you?

  


_Haha? He was doing that on purpose!_ Kise slaps his palm against his forehead and groans. He fell for one of the same tricks he teaches his clients. _How dare he…_
    
    
     **Sent to: Officer Aomine**  
    
    [text]: Meet me at the park a few blocks down from the station

  

    
    
    **Received from: Officer Aomine**  
    
    [text]: do i gotta dress fancy

  

    
    
    **Sent to: Officer Aomine**  
    
    [text]: you can dress in comfy clothes  
    
    [text]: dont gotta dress to impress

  

    
    
    **Received from: Officer Aomine**  
    
    [text]: cause i already impressed :P

  

    
    
    **Sent to: Officer Aomine**  
    
    [text]: just wear something comfy -.-

  



	6. Kise: Dating Should be Easy, Kissing Should Be Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kise learns that it's easier to teach people how to date than it is to go on one of his own and Kagami gets a lesson in working his unused lips

Kise taps his fingers against the arm of the park bench. Aomine is late. Or maybe Kise is early. He always did like to make a good impression on the first date. 

_Date?_

The thought makes him falter. He hadn't told Aomine he considers it a date and, in all actuality, it isn't like he planned a traditional dinner and a movie. Unlike all the women he's dated before, he has no idea how to read Aomine. They have all been open books, open doors, and he knew almost everything about them mere minutes into their first encounter. Aomine is something else entirely. It's like he has a screen in front of him. It's a _very_ dirty screen, and he does nothing to make the view clearer. Kise is pressing his hand against it, ready to step through blindly when he's always stared through a windowless frame.

"How long have you been here?"

Kise jumps. _Speak of the devil... _"Not long," he lies and shrugs his shoulders before pushing himself off the bench. "Only got here a few minutes ago."__

Aomine's lips twitch and he nods his head. "Right... so what kind of surprise you got planned, huh?" 

Kise lets his eyes shamelessly wander over Aomine's body. He's chosen a loose fitting tank top and an old pair of gym shorts for himself and it appears Aomine has chosen something similar. The tank top offers a view of his impressive arms that Kise has trouble pulling his eyes away from. But the color of his shorts gives Kise pause as he leans forward, gesturing toward the black and red material. "From high school?" 

"Eh?" Aomine shoves his hands in the pockets of his shorts. "Oh yeah. Touou." 

With a grin, Kise runs his hands down his own shorts. "Kaijou!" 

Aomine snorts. "We played you a few times in basketball." He eyes the shorts and lifts his brow as he says, "I never saw you there."

"I was out for a few games every season. I think the times we played Touou happened to fall on days when I had important photo shoots."

"We kicked your ass." Aomine smirks and crosses his arms over his chest.

Kise rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." He gestures for Aomine to follow and makes his way further into the park. "You wouldn't have if I'd been playing."

"Oh really?"

Kise casts a glance over his shoulder, eyes gleaming with challenge. " _Really_ really."

"You'll have to prove that shit to me on the court if you want me to believe you, model boy."

Kise tuts and shakes his head. "That can happen another day, Aominecchi."

"Aominecchi?" Aomine parrots, clearly taken by surprise when he hears Kise's nickname. 

Ignoring Aomine, he slows his gait when they reach a small booth set up at one corner of the park. He can ear the skepticism in the way Aomine hums a silent question to himself as he peers around Kise's shoulder. 

"I have two pairs on reserve," Kise says to the man running the booth and he disappears into the truck parked behind the stand before returning with two pairs of roller skates. Kise grins, hands him the money and takes the offered skates. Turning to Aomine, he extends a pair. "I kinda guessed we're about the same shoe size. Assumed you might be a size bigger or something. If those don't fit he has other sizes in the truck."

"What the fu–" Aomine balks, holding the skates up in front of his face. "Are you shittin' me? We're gonna go skating like a bunch of little brats? Is this the shit you do with all your dates?"

Kise laughs, the kind of laugh that lights up his entire face. He could say it's practiced, because he does have a laugh reserved for occasions where he's forced to play nicely, but Aomine brings out the genuine mirth, the real smile. It doesn't go unnoticed that Aomine used the word "date". 

"No, baka." He shakes his head as he tightens the first skate around one of his ankles. "I've only ever done this with my sisters, so this is a first for me." He looks up at Aomine and smiles. "Besides, it's fun no matter what age you are." He can see the hesitation in Aomine's eyes as he stares at the skates, still entirely incredulous, and Kise taps his fingers against his own skates to get Aomine's attention. "Unless, of course, you're too afraid I'll beat you if we race in these."

That gets a reaction. With a growl of defiance, Aomine drops himself onto the nearest bench and slides the skates onto his feet. "Like I'd let you beat me in something as stupid as this, Kise."

"We'll see about that, officer." Kise smirks and stands, easily gliding back and forth on the smooth wheels. "Ready?"

Aomine pushes himself up and nearly loses his balance. He slaps away Kise's offered hand and Kise watches as he realizes he can adjust the weight he places on each foot to improve his balance. "You're on, model-san."

Kise braces one leg against the edge of the bench and bends forward in a crouch. "Let's go."

~~~

Though Aomine had been hesitant and nearly fallen when he first put the skates on, Kise notices it only takes him a few moments to acclimate before he almost overtakes him as they race down the street. It's only because of Kise's frequent skating trips with his sisters that he's able to maintain a fraction of a lead. 

The further they go the more Kise feels that blossom of nostalgia growing in his chest. When he glances over his shoulder, the look he sees on Aomine's face tells him he's already hit a brick wall of memories. There's something about the way his brows furrow and his lips twist that makes Kise uneasy. He knew where they were going from the beginning, but this is still a surprise to Aomine and Kise feels like it might not be the kind of surprise he's expecting to receive.

They slow as the buildings loom closer and closer. He remembers walking these paths when he was younger, bored out of his mind with school and sports alike. As they come to the entryway, he hears Aomine draw in a sharp gasp. Kise pauses and turns toward Aomine. 

"Teikou," Aomine whispers, rolling past the sign that welcomes them. "I went here."

Kise follows only a foot or so behind. "Me too."

"You did?"

"Yeah." Kise nods and pushes past Aomine, heading straight for the gym. "I kinda hated it a little. I wanted to play sports, but I learned too quickly and surpassed my seniors before the season could really get going. It wasn't any fun. So I started picking up more jobs, more photo shoots, to distract myself from the boredom." He shrugs and flips himself around, skating backward as he says, "But I used to watch the basketball games when I had free time."

"Show off," Aomine huffs as he watches Kise effortless maneuver himself.

"I didn't remember who you were until recently," Kise continues, ignoring Aomine's comment. He stops in front of the gym doors and Aomine screeches to a halt. "You were one of the Generation of Miracles." He reaches out and touches the handle. "I remember watching you and thinking how cool it would be to play like you." His fingers curl around the handle and he pulls the door open. "You must've been a hell of an inspiration because I joined basketball in high school hoping to play against you someday and it's kind of funny that you ended up at the one school who's games I always missed."

He rolls backward into the gym and Aomine appears in the doorway. Kise reaches center court and eyes the baskets and the bleachers. He can almost feel the crowd around him, so large for a middle school game, as they marveled at the overwhelming power of the Generation of Miracles. He can still remember where he was sitting the first time he saw Aomine play. Finally his eyes return to Aomine and he opens his mouth to speak when a resounding thud echoes around him.

Aomine's fist grinds against the open door. His lips are pulled back in a silent snarl and he keeps his eyes on the ground as if he doesn't want to see or believe what is right in front of him.

"Aomine–"

Aomine's gone before Kise can finish.

"–cchi..." The addition echoes and follows Kise out of the gym. It takes more than a little effort to push the doors shut, but the minute he hears the click he takes off after Aomine.

He nearly runs himself ragged, speeding all the way back to the park, before he finally reaches him. Aomine has collapsed upon a bench right in front of a small crepe stand. His arms drape over the back of the bench and his eyes are directed skyward. Kise is almost certain Aomine doesn't hear him approach, but Aomine speaks.

"I guess that was pretty shitty of me."

Kise rolls to the other end of the bench and slowly lowers himself onto the seat beside Aomine. "I didn't know Teikou was off limits. I wouldn't have––"

"Don't start with the goddamn apologies." Aomine waves his hand as if to clear the air. "It's not like I told you about my middle school days. And you sure as hell ain't a psychic."

"Mmm..." Kise reluctantly hums his agreement and falls silent. A part of him wants to further broach the topic, but another part of him forces himself into silence. He's never had someone react so strongly to a place he's taken them before. He thought he knew how to cover all the bases, but he's run so far into left field that he's completely lost himself.

Then Aomine whispers, "I really lost myself back there."

"We didn't have to go to the gym if it––"

"Not just now, baka." Aomine sighs. "Back there, back then. Back when I was a kid."

"Back in Teikou?"

"Yeah."

Another silence fills the space between them until Kise finally decides to ask the question that continuously swims through his mind. "What happened?"

He doesn't expect an immediate answer and he doesn't receive one. Aomine sits in contemplative silence until he finally finds the words to explain. "When you're so good at something it gets boring, right?"

"It did for me," Kise admits.

Aomine nods. "Yeah, well... I always had opponents that made it kinda fun." Another sigh escapes as he continues. "At least, if they kept trying to beat me, even if they didn't stand a chance, it was fun. But people started to be afraid of the Miracles. No one wanted to play against us, not seriously. They stopped trying, especially if I was on the court. It didn't matter who was in front of me. They were solitary obstacles when I got the ball. Everyone stopped playing. They called me a monster and I felt like one." Aomine's hands clench into fists. "It was like everyone was cowering under their goddamn covers."

"Like no one wanted to better themselves by trying," Kise mutters in response.

"Yeah. Something like that." Aomine lifts his arm from across the back of the bench and runs his fingers through his hair. "Teikou is where I hit a low and kinda locked myself away from everything. I stopped going to practice, even skipped games. I considered not even playing in high school and even though I did, no one really gave me much of a challenge. So I opted out of the NBA and got a job as a cop instead."

Kise braces his elbows against his knees and props his chin in his hands. His fingers absently tap against his cheeks. "Are you unhappy?" He casts a sideways glance at Aomine who returns his gaze and offers a faint smile.

"Nah. I miss basketball, but I still play with some old friends." He shrugs and pushes himself to his feet. "Teikou is all in the past now. I'm kinda pissed that I got so worked up, but fuck it." He skates forward and gestures toward the crepe stand. "You want one?"

Kise's face brightens and, in his excitement, he pushes himself away from the bench a little too hard. It takes all of a few seconds for him to realize his mistake, and by then his chin has already hit the ground hard and the taste of blood fills his mouth.

He usually ends the dates with a bang, and maybe even a kiss goodbye. This isn't the bang he'd been intending and the kiss he receives after Aomine drags him to the hospital is pressed to his forehead, not his lips, and Kise laments the distance between the two. Despite the embarrassing end to his day, Aomine still suggests they go out again with no hazardous footwear and less drama from painful memories. Kise grins, even though it pulls uncomfortably on the stitches they used to close up the wound on his chin (his agent and stylist are going to have a field day with that one), and accepts the invitation, promising to keep all potential fuck-ups locked away next time.

~~~

"What the hell happened to your face?"

Kise grimaces. The last thing he wants to explain to someone he's schooling in the ways of love is how his own date had appeared to be an epic failure. At the very least, he'd gotten a smile and a laugh out of Aomine after his terrible run in with a dreary past. He tries not to think about that part, and tries even harder to think less about the way his face made friends with the pavement and earned him a trip to the hospital and the need to wear horridly thick gauze over the injured site.

Waving off Kagami's concern, he leans forward in his seat. They're in Maji burger, a little fast food restaurant Kise remembers being a popular place for young athletes back when he was in high school. "So tell me again how it ended?" Kise asks, stealing a fry off of Kagami's tray. "He wants to see you again, right?"

Kagami nods, mouth too full to speak.

"Will you not shove a dozen burgers into your mouth all at once, Kagamicchi?" Kise shakes his head and settles back into his seat. He waves at a passing fan, offering her a faint smile before he turns a more serious face on Kagami. "So now the next date has to be better." He lifts a hand and taps his fingers against the uninjured side of his chin. "No Tatsumi this time because she'll get in the way of the kiss, so it would be better if––"

The sound of Kagami choking cuts him off and Kise shoves his own drink across the table in panic. The entire contents of the paper cup disappear in one heaving gulp and Kagami coughs a few times before regaining his breath to stutter out, "Did you say k–kiss?"

With an exasperated sigh, Kise grabs Kagami's drink and takes a sip. "Yes, baka. I said a kiss." He eyes Kagami's flushed face for a few moments before asking, "Unless you kissed on this last date and didn't tell me about it." Kagami instantly averts his eyes and Kise slams his hands against the table and nearly shouts, "You did?"

The way Kagami vigorously shakes his head makes Kise second guess the answer until he hears a muttered, "I think he was trying to get me to kiss him, but I..."

Kagami starts fidgeting in his seat, eyeing the burgers like he wants to stuff one in his mouth to silence himself. Kise rolls his eyes and snaps his fingers in front of Kagami's face. "You what?"

"I shook his hand," Kagami hisses, the words coming out so quickly they blend together and sound less like Japanese and more like Kagami's choking on another burger.

Kise's expression deadpans. "You shook. His. Hand." He pauses between each word, hoping Kagami will understand the gravity of his mistake. "Are you an idiot? Was he leaning forward for the kiss?" Kagami barely nods, but it's enough to pull an exasperated growl from Kise's lips. "Kagamicchi... Why the hell..." An idea dawns on him. "Would that have been your first kiss?" The way Kagami's face lights up like a hot coal is answer enough. Pulling a hand down his face, Kise shakes his head and sighs. "What am I supposed to do with you, Kagamicchi?"

Kagami makes an attempt to respond, but Kise lifts a hand to silence him.

He puffs his cheeks out in defiant resolve and pushes himself out of his seat. "Guess I'm just gonna have to teach you."

If Kagami starts choking again, Kise isn't there to hear it. He's already halfway to the door when he hears the heavy footfalls behind him.

"Wait, dammit!" Kagami finally catches up to Kise when he's halfway across the street, heading toward the park. "How are you gonna teach me? Are we gonna... I mean, that'd be the only way to––"

Kise turns to face Kagami. He extends a single finger and taps it against Kagami's chest as he says, "Just trust me, Kagamicchi."

He can see Kagami trying to swallow the lump in his throat, but he nods, despite his palpable hesitation.

"We just have to find somewhere more remote."

"What––but you just said––"

"Just trust me."

~~~

When Kise's satisfied with the area he's chosen, making sure no paths cross through to lead people to them, he nods his approval and turns to face Kagami. He can swear he sees a nervous sweat on his brow and the way Kagami's hands tighten around the hem of his shirt is a sure sign of his hesitance. Kise reaches forward and slaps his hands down, shaking his head and frowning like a reprimanding parent.

"Okay, Kagamicchi, listen to me." Kise steps back and makes a wild gesture behind him. "Imagine I'm standing in front of Kurokocchi's door." He pretends to walk down an imaginary hallway that heads straight toward an even more imaginary door and rummages in his pocket as Kagami looks on. With a sigh, he beckons Kagami forward and continues when they're once again face-to-face. "So I'm Kurokocchi and––"

"Can you not call him that?"

"Kagamicchi, I'm trying to help you." Kise tuts softly. "Just listen to what's important."

Kagami averts his eyes. "I don't think I can do this."

"Why not?"

"Because you aren't Kuroko!"

"So you _can_ kiss Kurokocchi?"

"I–I don't know!"

"You want to try on your own? What if you're too eager and you smash his face with that thick skull of yours? Or worse, give him another handshake." He watches Kagami's face blanch. "You can't move too fast or too slow. You'll come off as too eager or completely uninterested."

"But I–"

"Just listen!" He grabs Kagami's chin and turns his face forward. "When you go in for a kiss you don't go all the way. Some people like to go 60/40, but that's a little too much to ask for a first kiss, especially if you're the one initiating it. You can't just expect him to meet you almost halfway. What if he thinks you don't really want it? You gotta show him you really want that one kiss from him because it could very well be his first kiss too and you want that to be his last first kiss."

Kagami's face lights up, but he nods and lets Kise continue. 

"So you can't go the full 100% of the way, got it?" He releases Kagami's chin and leans back. "Give him leeway to make the decision to close the rest of the space. Give him 10% and you fill the other 90 first." Kagami stares and Kise snaps his fingers to get a response. "Try it."

Kagami's eyes dart every which way until Kise reminds him that there isn't anyone around. Reluctantly, he leans in. Kise watches his face get closer and closer, almost too close, until he finally stops and waits. Instead of closing the distance, Kise takes in his expression. At the very lease, he's not puckering his lips, or making those obnoxious, squelching kiss noises that are so cliché. Though his eyes are squeezed shut so tight Kise swears his eyeballs will get sucked back into his head, his mouth is relaxed.

"Well?" Kagami opens his eyes and stares expectantly at Kise.

"Oh, alright." Kise slowly inches his face forward, not quite meeting Kagami's lips. He's still far enough away to observe every twitch of facial muscle. He see those forked brows furrow and expects a frustrated retort, but is hit with Kagami's chin as he jerks his face forward in his impatience.

Kise reels backward and swears under his breath, a single hand covering the bandage on his chin.

"Oh shit! Shit!" Kagami stumbles forward and reaches toward Kise, but his hands are slapped away. "Are you okay? I'm sorry! Shit! I just––"

"Goddamit, Kagamicchi." Kise hisses and steps out of reach. "I said 90/10, you idiot. Not 90 then wait to close the other 5 when I pause." He runs his free hand through his hair with a frustrated grumble. "God, you hit my chin!"

"I wasn't thinking! I––"

Kise shakes his head and groans. "No more practice."

"But––"

"90/10, Kagamicchi. Just remember that." Kise rubs at his chin as he slowly backs away. "I'm going to ice this. You better hope it hasn't reopened." His eyes narrow and Kagami spouts another round of apologies. "Just remember what I said. 90/10. Call me if you need me."

"90/10." Kagami repeats. Kise hopes he takes this as a lesson learned. He doesn't want Kuroko to have to explain a broken nose to his students.


End file.
